793.94/9191: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in China (Johnson)
Washington, August 7, 1937—2
p.m.
132. Your 367, August 4, noon, and Shanghai’s 418, August 3, 10 p.m., and 427, August 5, 8 p.m.
- 1.
- The Department is of the opinion that the neutralization of Shanghai by international agreement such as is envisaged in Shanghai’s 418, paragraph 5, would not be feasible, and doubts whether a proposal toward that end would prove acceptable to the Chinese and Japanese Governments. However, in view of the large foreign communities and extensive foreign interests at Shanghai, particularly American, British, French and Japanese, the Department feels that an approach might be made to the Chinese and Japanese Governments suggesting that each of those Governments give assurances (1) that it has no intention of increasing its respective armed forces in the Shanghai area (say, within a radius of 10 miles of the International Settlement), and (2) that its armed forces will not use that area as a base for military operations outside or inside the area.
- 2.
- Department further feels that, in order to save time and to ensure against crossing wires, it would be expedient that diplomatic representatives in China of the powers most concerned endeavor to formulate common proposals for reference to their governments respectively. With that end in view, you are authorized to discuss this subject with your British and other interested colleagues and to take a position in advocacy of there being made to the Chinese Government and the Japanese Ambassador to China, by agencies in China of the powers concerned, an approach suggesting the procedure outlined in the second sentence of the paragraph above.
Repeated to Shanghai, referring to Shanghai’s 435, August 7, 2 p.m.
Hull